I'm working on helping my mom buy a decent tenor sax for my dad--who is mainly looking to play for fun--but she's on a tight budget. My dad has played sax for a long time, but never owned his own tenor horn. I know that it would be best for him to choose his own horn, but my mom really wants this to be a surprise for him for their anniversary.
Right now, I've got lines on two vintage tenors and one more modern one:
(1) Statler - I'm told it was purchased in Germany in the 1940s by a professional musician. I've never heard of "Statler" but the current owner is telling me that it is comparable to a Selmer Mark VI.
(2) Pan American - the current owner tells me this is a Conn off-shoot and that this horn dates from the 1920s or -30s. The serial number he gave me is 41206, but I don't know whether this corresponds to the usual Conn serial number charts I've seen.
(3) Conn 16M - the owner told me the serial number on the horn is N2161xx, which would make it one of the Conn horns made around 1970 in Mexico, right?
I have not yet played any of these horns, but was hoping that some of you, who are more much more knowledgeable than I, would be willing to share your expertise with me. Basically, I would like the horn I choose for my dad to be reasonably in tune with itself, have a nice tone quality, and be better than a crappy modern student-level horn. (My thinking is that my mom's money, which as I said above is limited, would go further buying a vintage horn than buying a brand new student-level horn.)
What do you think? Any advice for me? All opinions are welcome.
For what it's worth, I do have experience playing a vintage horn. My own alto sax is a Conn "naked lady" from 1940. While I admit that the action isn't as smooth as, say, a Selmer Mark VI, the tone is luscious.
Again, I'm just curious to know what YOU think about the three above-mentioned possibilities. Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences with me.
All best regards,
Noah
Right now, I've got lines on two vintage tenors and one more modern one:
(1) Statler - I'm told it was purchased in Germany in the 1940s by a professional musician. I've never heard of "Statler" but the current owner is telling me that it is comparable to a Selmer Mark VI.
(2) Pan American - the current owner tells me this is a Conn off-shoot and that this horn dates from the 1920s or -30s. The serial number he gave me is 41206, but I don't know whether this corresponds to the usual Conn serial number charts I've seen.
(3) Conn 16M - the owner told me the serial number on the horn is N2161xx, which would make it one of the Conn horns made around 1970 in Mexico, right?
I have not yet played any of these horns, but was hoping that some of you, who are more much more knowledgeable than I, would be willing to share your expertise with me. Basically, I would like the horn I choose for my dad to be reasonably in tune with itself, have a nice tone quality, and be better than a crappy modern student-level horn. (My thinking is that my mom's money, which as I said above is limited, would go further buying a vintage horn than buying a brand new student-level horn.)
What do you think? Any advice for me? All opinions are welcome.
For what it's worth, I do have experience playing a vintage horn. My own alto sax is a Conn "naked lady" from 1940. While I admit that the action isn't as smooth as, say, a Selmer Mark VI, the tone is luscious.
Again, I'm just curious to know what YOU think about the three above-mentioned possibilities. Thank you so much in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences with me.
All best regards,
Noah
